Weird issues after EG4 6000ex installation

[lns]

I installed a single EG4 6000ex inverter along with a rack of EG4 batteries in my garage building.
I'm hoping to get some feedback/comments about these issues.

1. We found that the subpanel in the garage had neutral and ground bars/connections bonded together even though there were 4-wires coming from the main panel (where neutral/ground was also bonded) about 250ft away. We separated the ground and neutral bars/connections before going into EG4 AC input. The EG4 AC output goes to a new subpanel where neutral and ground bars/connections are NOT bonded. We moved some breakers from the old grid-powered subpanel to the new EG4-powered subpanel, one of them is a GFCI breaker. Things seem to be working in the garage. However, in another building which has its own subpanel (again, the neutral and ground bars/connections are bonded along with a grounding rod), a few of the GFCI breakers tripped without using them. Could this be caused by us separating neutral/ground bars in the garage building's subpanel? or is this related to EG4 inverter somehow?

2. Some of the lights in the building NOT powered by the EG4 flickers intermittently. This hasn't happened before. Could this be caused by the EG4 installation somehow? maybe also related to the neutral/ground bars/connections being bonded?

Thank you!

Update: I found that the GFCIs in another subpanel trips when the EG4 is is running on Utility power, but they won't if EG4 is on battery mode. I've also corrected that subpanel's bonding by separating out the grounds to see if this corrects the tripping issue.
Update2: correcting the subpanels bonding still did NOT fix the GFCI breakers/outlets tripping issue.

 

[rodrick]

when did you get the unit the early units had neutral ground bonding screw, the new ones now have them removed
contact your supplier about removing it if it’s there
as far as lights flickering there is a lot on the site about that problem

 

[lns]

when did you get the unit the early units had neutral ground bonding screw, the new ones now have them removed
contact your supplier about removing it if it’s there
as far as lights flickering there is a lot on the site about that problem

Thanks for your response. I saw the lights flickering issue but thought those were the lights serviced by the inverter. I have lights in another building flickering. I will also check the bonding.

 

[rodrick]

Thanks for your response. I saw the lights flickering issue but thought those were the lights serviced by the inverter. I have lights in another building flickering. I will also check the bonding

if they are not hooked to the inverter I wouldn’t think it’s the problem unless somehow the bonding is messing with them are they led lights

 

[mikeyoungvcu89]

I believe all your grounds are connected together and all your neutrals are connected together even though they aren't all powered by the inverter. Some weird things can happen when you power the inverter through utility. I had strange issues with a generator. Current on ground or between ground and neutral among them which will trip your breakers or potentially cause them to just not work even thought they aren't tripped. I'm not sure if this is due to the way the inverter bonds or doesn't bond or something else.
I am not a licensed electrician but I have always understood neutral and ground should never be bonded anywhere but one place for the entire system even for a separate structure that DOES need to have its own ground rod (this is the way my detached garage is wired). Logically the bonding is in the main panel if you have utility. In off-grid it probably makes more sense to let the inverter do it. I have noticed sometimes you will get away with it with no apparent effects on GFCI and other times not. The first thing I would try is separate the grounds and neutrals in the other subpanel.

 

[dcg9381]

There's a whole thread on bonding with the EG-4 inverters.
To me, the "short answer" is that you bond the first panel past the "power source". Subsequent panels are unbonded.
A power source can be the utility or the inverter.

Apparently there have been grounding and bonding changes with the EG-4, so the inverter being bonded or unbonded depends on when you bought it (perhaps).

Reference:

 

[lns]

I believe all your grounds are connected together and all your neutrals are connected together even though they aren't all powered by the inverter. Some weird things can happen when you power the inverter through utility. I had strange issues with a generator. Current on ground or between ground and neutral among them which will trip your breakers or potentially cause them to just not work even thought they aren't tripped. I'm not sure if this is due to the way the inverter bonds or doesn't bond or something else.
I am not a licensed electrician but I have always understood neutral and ground should never be bonded anywhere but one place for the entire system even for a separate structure that DOES need to have its own ground rod (this is the way my detached garage is wired). Logically the bonding is in the main panel if you have utility. In off-grid it probably makes more sense to let the inverter do it. I have noticed sometimes you will get away with it with no apparent effects on GFCI and other times not. The first thing I would try is separate the grounds and neutrals in the other subpanel.

Thanks for responding.
I've corrected the grounds and neutrals in the other building's subpanel by separating them in separate bars. The issue remains the same though (before correcting and after correcting bonding). The GFCI breakers and outlets will trip when the EG4 inverter pulls power from the grid... probably, like you said, the ground and neutral are connected in the EG4 powered building with the GFCI subpanel of the other building at the main service panel. I'm guessing that something is going on the lines when EG4 switches on the grid power and the GFCI monitoring doesn't like it??

 

[dcg9381]

I'm guessing that something is going on the lines when EG4 switches on the grid power and the GFCI monitoring doesn't like it??

Yea, that's it. You can't bond neutral and ground multiple places and expect GFCI to work.
Did you review the video above? What might get you more help is if you draw out a diagram of how you have things connected.

 

[lns]

Yea, that's it. You can't bond neutral and ground multiple places and expect GFCI to work.
Did you review the video above? What might get you more help is if you draw out a diagram of how you have things connected.

?? I'm saying i've CORRECTED all the bonding in all the subpanels and the issue with GFCI breakers tripping still exist when the EG4 pulls power from the grid. I've only got 1 bond now, at the main service panel

 

[rodrick]

?? I'm saying i've CORRECTED all the bonding in all the subpanels and the issue with GFCI breakers tripping still exist when the EG4 pulls power from the grid. I've only got 1 bond now, at the main service panel

Most likely you are still grounded in the inverter causing the problem contact the seller about removing the bonding screw

 

[mikeyoungvcu89]

I think there is a second bond being created when the inverter is running with utility I don't think its supposed to but its the only thing that explains some of the things I've seen. Could be current leaking over to the ground somehow too. That might be why they started taking the bonding screw out of the EG4 6500
My Old POWMR would run GFCI's all day with the generator but wouldn't charge well.

 

[Zeppelin]

There's a whole thread on bonding with the EG-4 inverters.
To me, the "short answer" is that you bond the first panel past the "power source". Subsequent panels are unbonded.
A power source can be the utility or the inverter.

Apparently there have been grounding and bonding changes with the EG-4, so the inverter being bonded or unbonded depends on when you bought it (perhaps).

Reference:

SS should post a video of HOW to remove the screw, with pictures, diagrams etc.

 

[Gavin Stone]

SS should post a video of HOW to remove the screw, with pictures, diagrams etc.

It takes less then 10 minutes. And it’s extremely easy. I was nervous when I did it. But it turns out I didn’t need to be. No big deal.

 

[Adam De Lay]

SS should post a video of HOW to remove the screw, with pictures, diagrams etc.

I recorded a video when I removed my bonding screws the first time. Never did any editing on it, just did it strictly for my own reference. I can share it if you would be interested. Just a warning, you'll have to do a lot of fast forwarding...

 

[dcg9381]

Here's a photo for those that have to do it.

 

[kburndred]

The latest firmware has a setting to remove N-G bond.
Setting #34 - set to Enable to "disable N-G" bond.
N-G bond should only exist in the main panel where your utility supply is located, nowhere else.
GFCI breakers measure voltage between N and G if there's any voltage on G it will trip the GFCI